1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for making an applique to be applied as a decorative overlay on a larger fabric, or on a fabric covered article. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved, more rapid method for making an applique by eliminating the need for stiff or rigid separate templates, by eliminating the need for manually tracing the outline of an applique element onto fabric sections from which the applique element is to be formed, and by eliminating the need for a light box to facilitate such tracing operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Applique designs are commonly provided as decorative elements on various types of fabric articles, such as quilts, tablecloths, bedspreads, pillow cases, and the like. Traditionally, applique elements have been made and applied by hand, and the technique required the tracing onto the back surface of the applique fabric material of the outline of the applique element, which is a tedious and time-consuming process, especially when the overall applique design includes a number of individual applique elements that are to be combined to provide the overall design.
After allowing an amount of fabric for a seam allowance around the outer periphery of the traced applique element, the element is cut from the fabric sheet, and the seam allowance is folded over along the traced peripheral outline of the element and is basted. The resulting applique element is then arranged in position on the base material to which it is to be attached, either alone or together with other applique elements, to form the final applique design on the base material.
Because the traditional method for making the applique elements by tracing and for providing finished edges by basting is so slow, various different approaches have been devised to facilitate the preparation of such applique elements, and to reduce the time involved in preparing them. One such different approach involved the use of preformed templates defining the outlines of the several applique elements, both with and without the seam allowance. The templates are often made from either a thick plastic sheet, that has a thickness greater than that of a limp film, or from a heavy paper sheet that has sufficient weight to be substantially self-supporting. The template that includes the seam allowance is placed over the fabric sheet from which the applique element is to be formed, and is secured thereto temporarily either by tape or by means of a readily releasible adhesive, after which the pattern for the applique element is cut from the fabric, along with the desired seam allowance. The element is then either sewn to a second template without the seam allowance, if the material is paper, or alternatively, it is attached using a water-soluble glue. The resulting applique element is then stitched to the base material, which has had drawn on it using the smaller template, without the seam allowance, the outline of the applique element. The smaller template is later removed by cutting the base material that is positioned under the applique element and is within the periphery of the element, and separating the paper or plastic template frown the applique element and withdrawing it from between the applique material and the base material.
Other ways that have been devised for holding the seam allowances in place include the application of a spray starch to the fabric portion of the seam allowance and then ironing the seam allowance over the reverse side of the applique element or over a previously-cut paper template placed on the reverse side of the applique element fabric. Additionally, the use of a so-called freezer paper, having a heat softenable coating, has been suggested with the coating surface of the template facing upwardly so that the folded over fabric seam allowance can be ironed directly to the coated surface of the freezer paper.
Several of the proposed template and seam allowance attachment techniques are described in an article that appeared in the June 1989 issue of Quilters Newsletter Magazine. The article is entitled, "Which Applique Technique Shall I Use", and it appeared on pages 38 and 39. Other techniques are disclosed in the Background of the Invention section of U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,140, which issued on Aug. 25, 1992 to Deborah J. Moffett-Hall.
Although some of the alternative techniques for preparing applique elements significantly speed the process, as compared with the traditional method involving tracing and basting, they still involve excessive time and are tedious to use. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for making an applique element, one that does not require the tracing of the outline of the applique element onto a fabric section, and that therefore eliminates the need for a light box to facilitate such tracing operations.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved applique element preparation method that eliminates the need for basting the seam allowance directly to the fabric, or for attaching the seam allowance to a paper or plastic template.